Staff at Radio Emmanuel 89 FM, a Catholic Church-owned station in South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria State, have begun an open-ended strike in protest over low pay.

Several staff interviewed by Radio Tamazuj on Friday said the strike, which started Tuesday, follows earlier demands for a pay rise.

Most of the staff claimed their salaries do not exceed USD 200, pointing to disparities in salaries given to managers and journalists.

Earlier complaints to the church administration were allegedly ignored.

Otwari Thomas Marino, an editor in the news department, claimed the managers are receiving much higher salaries compared to theirs.

For her part, Lillian Ochoo, the station manager said she was unaware of the strike over salaries, adding that daily operations have not been affected.

"The contracts were signed in the month of January and there is a gap in the financial aspects related to the contracts. So, this is according to the responsibilities,” she said.

Located 3 kilometers south of Torit town, Radio Emmanuel is a community based radio, established to enable communities access information on critical issues, and create a platform for development, peace and reconciliation.